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Health-related quality of life of transplant recipients: a comparison between lung, kidney, heart, and liver recipients

Quality of Life Research volume 29, pages 1631–1639 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Quality of life and psychological responses to transplantation are constructs used to assess various psychosocial aspects after organ transplantation. The purpose of this study is to compare physical, psychological, social, and environmental quality of life between recipients of four organs: liver, lung, heart, and kidney.

Methods

In order to compare the four types of quality of life and emotional responses post-transplant, HRQOL and TxEQ questionnaires were administered to 427 transplant recipients.

Results

Heart and liver recipients report significantly higher health-related quality of life than lung and kidney recipients. Heart and lung patients report significantly fewer concerns and worries than liver and kidney patients. New additional variables were explored in our study: psychological connection to the living donor/deceased donor's family and commitment to them. We also found that heart recipients feel their personality traits changed, postoperative.

Conclusions

The contribution of our study was the finding that ethno-religious and psychosocial variables have a positive effect on four dimensions of HRQOL. It may be useful to design psychological support interventions specifically adapted to patients after organ transplantation that aim at enhancing patients' HRQOL and alleviating negative emotional responses.

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Funding

The research project received no funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, 2 Rabenu Yerucham St., 6161001, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Mahdi Tarabeih

  2. School of Nursing, Tel Aviv Yaffo Academic College, 2 Rabenu Yerucham St., 6161001, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Ya’arit Bokek-Cohen & Pazit Azuri

Authors
  1. Mahdi Tarabeih
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  2. Ya’arit Bokek-Cohen
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  3. Pazit Azuri
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Contributions

PA and YBC participated in research design. YBC PA and MT participated in the writing of the paper. MT participated in the performance of the research. YBC participated in the data analysis of the project. MT and YBC participated in data analysis. PA and MT reviewed the draft of the paper. YBC and MT approved the final draft of the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ya’arit Bokek-Cohen.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare thay they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the IRB of the Academic College of Tel Aviv Jaffa.

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All participants signed an informed consent form.

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Tarabeih, M., Bokek-Cohen, Y. & Azuri, P. Health-related quality of life of transplant recipients: a comparison between lung, kidney, heart, and liver recipients. Qual Life Res 29, 1631–1639 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02434-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02434-4

Keywords

  • Heart transplantation
  • Kidney transplantation
  • Liver transplantation
  • Lung transplantation
  • Quality of life